Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume VII.djvu/134

 126 FENIANS be raised ! " But every purpose and act of Stephens was made known to the British gov- ernment. On the night of Sept. 15 a squad of the Dublin police suddenly seized the of- fice of the " Irish People," taking into custo- dy Jeremiah O'Donovan-Rossa, the registered proprietor, and several of the editorial staff and other employees, among whom was Pierce Nagle, who turned crown witness at the sub- sequent trial. Another squad arrested Thomas 0. Luby, the chief editor, at his residence, cap- turing among other documents a letter ad- dressed to " Miss Frazer," but which in reality was an official document signed by James Stephens appointing a committee of three to govern "the home organization," with the same supreme authority hitherto exercised by himself. There were resolutions also from the brotherhood in America, signed by O'Mahony, formally recognizing Stephens as the chief executive and head of the Irish republic. The next day appeared two proclamations from the viceroy, Lord Wodehouse. The first an- nounced the existence of "the Fenian con- spiracy," and offered a reward of 200 for the apprehension of James Stephens ; the second declared military law in the city and county of Cork, and offered another reward of 200 for the apprehension of one Geary. Simul- taneously with the arrests in Dublin, which continued daily for several weeks, others were made in different parts of Ireland. In England, at the same time, several leading Fenians were arrested in Liverpool, Manchester, and other cities. On an American steamer landing at Queenstown, 0. U. O'Connell, an aide-de-camp of O'Mahony, was taken into custody, and upon him were found papers incriminating many persons. The utmost energy was displayed by the British authorities ; vessels of war were despatched to the principal seaports, and a cordon of gunboats surrounded the Irish coasts. Stephens, under the name of James Herbert, had occupied a villa near Dublin, where on the night of Nov. 11 he with three others was arrested by the police. He was committed to prison, whence he escaped on the 24th of the same month, and finally reached France. Bills of exchange in large amounts from the Fenian treasury in New York to the Irish leaders had fallen into the hands of the government. No sooner had tidings of this reached the United States than the " central council of the Fenian brother- hood," sitting in New York, summoned the third congress, which assembled in Phila- delphia, Oct. 18. During its sitting, P. J. Meehan, editor of the " Irish American," and accredited agent to the brotherhood in Ire- laud, returned, and reported the home organi- zation as " powerful, the management master- ly, and the position solid," and this at the very moment when the Irish revolutionists were utterly helpless. To this congress 350 circles, representing 30 states, sent deputies, and among the circles those styled "army and navy " had 14,620 members. This session of the third congress authorized the establish- ment of a " Fenian sisterhood," which spread rapidly, and proved a successful auxiliary in raising funds. It also adopted a new constitu- tion, creating a president, secretaries of depart- ments, a senate and house of representatives, and authorized the issue of bonds of the Irish republic. A deputation from this "conven- tion of Irish- American citizens " obtained from President Johnson the release from Fortress Monroe of John Mitchel, who had been con- fined as a prisoner of state. He was des- patched to Europe as the accredited agent of the brotherhood, and bore with him a large surn of money in aid of the struggle in Ireland. After the adjournment of this congress public offices were opened in New York, and the issue and sale of bonds were actively carried on for some time. But a fatal dissension now manifested itself between O'Mahony and the newly created senate. Meanwhile events in Ireland were hurrying onward. The special commission to try the Fenian prisoners com- menced in Dublin Nov. 27. O'Donovan-Rossa was sentenced to penal servitude for life, and Luby and O'Leary for 20 years. The judges then proceeded to Cork, where similar punish- ments were dealt out. In the mean time the rupture in New York between O'Mahony, who had been created president of the whole broth- erhood, and the majority of the senate, had been gradually widening. He and his friends wished to operate in Ireland, while the senate favored the scheme of an armed expedition into Cana- da, and henceforth were designated by their op- ponents as the Canada party. On Jan. 2, 1866, the fourth Fenian congress assembled in New York. More than 400 delegates attended from Canada, Australia, and all parts of the United States. The old constitution was restored and O'Mahony reinstated as head centre. These proceedings were accepted by a military con- vention held in New York, Feb. 22 ; but the hope of a permanent reconciliation soon ended in a worse misunderstanding. The sentences pronounced in Ireland on the prisoners did not seem to damp the courage of the Fenians. On Feb. 24 Lord Wodehouse wrote to the Eng- lish home secretary that as many as 500 Irish- men from America, " thoroughly reckless, and possessed of considerable military experience," were known to be engaged in swearing in members throughout the country; adding: "The disaffection of the population is alarm- ing, and is day by day spreading more and more through every part of the country." Parliament on Feb. 17 suspended the habeas corpus act. A large number of arrests were made in Dublin, and before the end of March 670 persons had been taken into custody, the number reaching 756 at the accession of the Derby ministry in July. The excitement of the Irish element in America became uncon- trollable. Meetings were held in the chief cities, and the central office in New York was